#36 Eastern Oregon Peer Team: Taking Care of Our People After a Critical Incident

<p dir="ltr">We have reached the end of Season 3 on the Center Collaborative. Closing out this year, we’re bringing you a fascinating discussion about how professional peers are making a difference in first responder culture in Eastern Oregon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Peer Coordinator Sergeant Tyler Reddington, Retired Firefighter and Department Chaplain Kevin Coleman, and Dr. Lindsay Tice PsyD, Clinical Psychologist, discuss: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Fire and police often experience the same traumatic events, which is why it made sense to collaborate on the peer program.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Undoing the old thought-process that traumatic events don’t affect all aspects of a first responders well-being.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">After a series of traumatic events in the community had a clearly negative impact on the first responders, the need for more support was recognized.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">First responders need a place to unload traumatic stress that doesn’t feel like they’re placing an undue burden on family and friends. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Trauma isn’t always a big event - it can be a result of the accumulation of traumatic stress from any area of a person’s life over time.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Peers are a sounding board, encouraging ongoing communication about stresses whether they’re related to the job or not.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">If a person feels they would like more skills or help with processing trauma, they can be referred to Dr. Tice, who is culturally competent with first responder culture.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">The  Eastern Oregon Peer Team is adding peers to the team who have first-hand knowledge of an